


Day Two Hundred Forty - On a Sailing Ship

by 365daysofsasuhina



Series: 365 Days of SasuHina 2019 [240]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-08-29
Packaged: 2020-09-29 22:33:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20443649
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/365daysofsasuhina/pseuds/365daysofsasuhina
Summary: Being an Uchiha in the royal navy after the actions of their ancestor Madara isn't easy...and Sasuke's not sure how much more of this he can take...





	Day Two Hundred Forty - On a Sailing Ship

What can he say? He’s just following in his ancestor’s footsteps.

When young, Sasuke - like his predecessor Madara - had been enrolled in the royal naval academy. Of course...Madara’s reputation - that of a traitor turned pirate, stealing the navy’s finest vessel before disappearing into the waves - makes being an Uchiha in the navy rather...difficult. Sasuke found himself the subject of whispers and rumors wherever he went. He’d been prepared for it, thankfully. His family has long suffered in the shadow of Madara’s actions, and attempting to prove their continued loyalty despite the man’s betrayal hasn’t been easy.

But Sasuke is determined to be a top naval officer and bring his family pride...and wealth. The noble house of Uchiha has fared worse and worse over the years, and his brother’s health wanes, too. If they’re to find money for a doctor, then he’ll need to earn his keep, and then some. And with Itachi unable to sail the seas himself, Sasuke does so in his stead, returning home with stories to help fuel his brother’s imagination, as if he could be there, too.

He graduates with top marks...much like Madara had, but a few years older in scale. Assigned to his first ship - a frigate flying the Senju colors - he does his duties with zeal and eagerness to prove his family’s honor and loyalty to the crown.

But...it’s not all smooth sailing.

Even now, despite his top marks and honors, he’s looked down upon. Spat at. And more than once, roughened up slightly before officers break up the brawls. Each one chips at his determination, stoking an all-too-familiar temper.

A temper like Madara’s.

More than anything, he wants to be able to fight back. To match punches and snark. But he knows any slight - even if in his own defense - will only tarnish his and his family’s reputation further.

But even the most well-cared for lines will snap when faced with too much tension.

“Urgh-!”

Back slamming into an upright, Sasuke heaves for breath, barely ducking beneath a swinging fist. When knuckles instead smear across the wooden beam as he dodges toward the stairs to the deck, a holler and string of oaths follow in his wake. Scrambling up, he dodges fellow sailors in a bid for freedom -

\- only to run headlong into an officer.

The collision has them both reeling, Sasuke knocked back onto his haunches as others manage to catch his unintended target.

“What in the blazes -? What is going on here?” he demands, seeing Sasuke’s clothes sullied and ruffled, the other sailors coming up behind.

“Just Uchiha refuse causing trouble, sir,” one offers, grinning.

“I’ve done nothing!” Sasuke insists. “I was just trying to do my rounds when they jumped me, sir!”

Looking down his nose, the officer sneers. “A likely story...one can only take an Uchiha’s word so seriously…”

“Sir, I swear to you, I -”

“You know, I believe we’ve had enough of these incidents, Uchiha. Over and over you’ve instigated trouble -”

“Sir, I -!”

“_And_,” he cuts in, ignoring the young man’s attempts to defend himself, “I have reached the limit of my patience with you. You are hereby dishonorably discharged from His Majesty’s royal navy, and you will be escorted off the ship once we reach the harbor. Until then, you will remain in your quarters for the remainder of the journey. Is that understood?”

Devastation is plain across Sasuke’s face. Dishonorably discharged...unable to even defend himself, already declared guilty because of his name…! What justice is this?

...but it’s clear as day: there will be none. Sins of the father...or, well, ancestor at any rate.

Well...if they’re to judge him by his surname only...then by God, he’ll give them what they’re looking for.

He can only hope his family will forgive him, but...no longer can he sit and take this abuse. This injustice. If he’s lucky, they’ll be told he drowned at sea.

Odds are? He will.

Finding his feet, he’s oddly calm, looking to the officer dead in the eyes. “...understood, sir.”

“Good. Now, down to the -”

Reeling back his left arm, Sasuke decidedly decks the officer in the jaw, the impact making his knuckles ache. But to his satisfaction, the man goes down hard...and doesn’t get back up.

For about three seconds, the entire deck pauses in stunned silence. And it’s those three seconds he uses to his advantage. Turning on a heel, he sprints for the nearer railing, leaping out into one of the jolly ships along the stern. With a draw of his sword (thankfully still buckled to his hip), he makes quick work of one line. As the boat tips downward, he manages the second, and it plunges down into the water, bobbing haphazardly before stilling.

Within a handful of moments, crewmen gather along the edge of the ship, sails full and quickly leaving the little boat behind. A few still manage shots that zing into the water around him, none nearly accurate enough to do him or the vessel harm. And already he knows it’s not worth turning about a ship that size for one rogue crewman.

So as the frigate makes its way on toward the harbor still a few days’ sailing away...Sasuke stands and pants in the belly of his boat.

...well, that went better than expected.

Collapsing onto a bench, he lets his sword clatter along the bottom, not yet motivated to sheath it as he sits. A few islands pepper the horizon, and he might have some hope of reaching them. But this craft has no supplies...just oars, and himself. Word of his actions will reach his family...he can only hope they’ll understand. Someday, he’ll return to tell them the truth of what happened this day.

But first, he has to make it to some shoreline alive.

Shrugging out of his coat, he takes up the oars, swivels into the right direction...and starts to row.

And row...and row…

By nightfall, he barely makes it to one of the tiny land masses, barely a stone’s throw across. Exhaustedly tugging the boat up past the tideline, he collapses atop the sand, chest heaving for breath. His mouth is dry...if there’s no fresh water to be had in these isles, he’ll soon be doomed either way. But for now...sleep is his most required necessity, and he quickly fades into darkness.

As the sun rises and pinches his lids against the light, it takes a moment for the previous day to wash back over him. Up he sits, taking in his surroundings. Not far off are other islands, varying in size. His current perch is barely a sandbar, just enough to get him off that boat and keep from drifting heavens know where. His stomach is aching with hunger, throat dry as the sand. But he determinedly fetches his vessel, touring around the islands and deciding on one he hopes will have some means of survival. At the very least, a stream empties out into the ocean along the sand - there must be a spring…!

Again he stashes his boat up the shoreline, following the water until he comes upon said spring. Careful not to overdue and vomit, he slowly sates his thirst, sitting and enjoying the shade of the trees clustered around it. A few plants he recognizes as edible are nibbled, contemplating his next move. His best bet is to be picked up by another vessel...but he’ll have to be careful. Punching a naval officer isn’t exactly something that will see him well-treated next time he finds himself in the capital.

But, these waters are oft-used for trade. He’ll figure something out. For now, he has the basics he’ll need to survive until then. The rest he has time to plan.

Meandering back toward the beach, he perks up as he spots crabs scuttling along the sand. Now that would make a good meal…! Making his way out after one, he manages to get ahold of it without getting pinched. “Sorry, mate...but that’s just how...it…” Glancing aside as something catches his eye, Sasuke quiets.

There’s...a woman. Just...standing along the beach. She looks just as surprised to see him, a basket held along an arm. For a long moment, the pair stare at one another. Even from this distance, he can see the pale shade of her eyes, wide in shock. Her hair is long, dark, and straight as a blade down to her hips.

But before he can offer a greeting, she drops her basket and takes off...toward the water?

“Hey, w-wait!” Does she live here? Is there a town on this isle he was unaware of? “Miss, wait! I just want to -!”

Into the waves she runs, looking back almost fearfully over her shoulder. As the water reaches her waist, she just...disappears under the surface.

Having made it to his knees, Sasuke stares in utter confusion. What just…?

Then, with a leap, the woman - no, a fish? - breaks through the surface before diving back under.

Shock earns a holler, staggering back to his rump into the shallows. Was -? Did she just -? But that’s -?

Dark eyes stare out into the ocean. That...that wasn’t possible. Things like that don’t _exist_. But...he could have sworn she was…?

“...the sea and sun are getting to you, Sasuke,” he mutters, mopping a hand over his face. “There’s no such thing as mermaids.” Hauling himself to his feet, he heads back up the beach, intent on catching more crabs.

And there, spilling clams, crabs, and even a few fish...is the woman’s basket.

...she was real.

Staring at the spoils, Sasuke isn’t sure what to think. But those greens are hardly filling, and...well, it’s right here...surely she won’t mind? If she’s even more than a figment of his imagination? So, taking up the basket, he stuffs everything back in, and makes to start a fire.

...this is far more than he ever bargained for.

**Author's Note:**

> Well, Hinata's BARELY in this one, but...it was getting long, and I'm running out of time before I have to run! Busy busy, blegh
> 
> This is - again - technically yesterday's entry. Life is still not giving me enough time to catch up, and I still have more to do today OTL SO we'll see what I can get done tonight when I get back. Either way...I'll be honest, I'm a bit eager to be done with SHM and focusing just on THIS challenge again. A month of double drabbles has been a bit much. I love both, but...yeesh xD
> 
> Anyway, have some pirate AU! Kinda sorta. He's not a pirate yet. But uh...it's looking like he might be. Yet another idea I'll have to try to continue at some point...but not now lol
> 
> But yes, thank you for reading! Someday I'll catch back up :'D Thank you for your patience, and for reading!


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